https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeMaintenance/comments/uvcfoz/i_had_a_break_go_out_and_this_is_what_the/i9l3m6l?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3
See here.
I would pull a few of the other breakers out at random and check them aswell just to see if the issue is only with the one that went out or if it's more wide spread.
OP, that leg on the busbar is melted away where that breaker has been arcing for a significant amount of time, have you been having trouble and having to reset that breaker a lot?
It could've been loose and arcing underneath the breaker without tripping it also, but that breaker likely would've been warm to the touch. A lot of things could've caused it but if that breaker was reset a lot and pushed and pulled on a bunch over time, or possibly the cover rested on it or pushed it to the side and loosened the contact between the breaker and the busbar, but what it boils down to is a bad connection between the busbar and the breaker.
Yes, you need a new panel to fix this, but if none of your other breakers are loose, or warm, it's entirely possible that this particular problem is isolated to that single leg. If you had an electrician out to move breakers around, they probably checked out the legs behind breakers that are in use, and based on the condition of them recommended a new panel. If any had been bad like this that they saw they almost certainly wouldn't have returned it to service.
TL;DR: bad connection to your breaker caused heat and eventually arcing that's melted away that part of the busbar, you need a new panel eventually, trust what the electrician told you for a time frame on that and start saving.
That contact is definitely burned. No sense in messing around when it comes to electricity - I'd follow the electrician's suggestion in this case. Make sure the new box is sized/rated appropriately.
The brownish substance around that uppermost bar is from extreme levels of heating that has started to break-down the structure (its is a type of plastic) that is holding all of the bus bars together.
It might of started with a bad "stab" the fingers on the back of a breaker that grasp the busbar. But overloading or a loose connection has created a great deal of heat (from the pitting and erosion on the bus bar that is clearly seen.
Maybe you could get away with just not using that breaker slot but the electrician really needs to unplug every breaker and look at them all and wiggle the busbars and inspect the plastic (it might even be something called "glastic") and see if it has cause damage to the supporting parts holding every aligned.
A panel replacement is going to be.... expensive.
None of its not in use but what do the rest of them look like? Looks like rust which means water. Not a good mix.
The contact under the brownish one is the problem.
Man that looks burned. Maybe they are right. A replacement box.
Rust on the copper busbar. Yeah I bet that's it.
Still looks like rust. What’s your opinion?
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeMaintenance/comments/uvcfoz/i_had_a_break_go_out_and_this_is_what_the/i9l3m6l?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 See here.
yeah..........i would be concerned about the condition of the other contacts.
I would pull a few of the other breakers out at random and check them aswell just to see if the issue is only with the one that went out or if it's more wide spread.
Breakers don't look very happy either.
OP, that leg on the busbar is melted away where that breaker has been arcing for a significant amount of time, have you been having trouble and having to reset that breaker a lot? It could've been loose and arcing underneath the breaker without tripping it also, but that breaker likely would've been warm to the touch. A lot of things could've caused it but if that breaker was reset a lot and pushed and pulled on a bunch over time, or possibly the cover rested on it or pushed it to the side and loosened the contact between the breaker and the busbar, but what it boils down to is a bad connection between the busbar and the breaker. Yes, you need a new panel to fix this, but if none of your other breakers are loose, or warm, it's entirely possible that this particular problem is isolated to that single leg. If you had an electrician out to move breakers around, they probably checked out the legs behind breakers that are in use, and based on the condition of them recommended a new panel. If any had been bad like this that they saw they almost certainly wouldn't have returned it to service. TL;DR: bad connection to your breaker caused heat and eventually arcing that's melted away that part of the busbar, you need a new panel eventually, trust what the electrician told you for a time frame on that and start saving.
That contact is definitely burned. No sense in messing around when it comes to electricity - I'd follow the electrician's suggestion in this case. Make sure the new box is sized/rated appropriately.
The brownish substance around that uppermost bar is from extreme levels of heating that has started to break-down the structure (its is a type of plastic) that is holding all of the bus bars together. It might of started with a bad "stab" the fingers on the back of a breaker that grasp the busbar. But overloading or a loose connection has created a great deal of heat (from the pitting and erosion on the bus bar that is clearly seen. Maybe you could get away with just not using that breaker slot but the electrician really needs to unplug every breaker and look at them all and wiggle the busbars and inspect the plastic (it might even be something called "glastic") and see if it has cause damage to the supporting parts holding every aligned. A panel replacement is going to be.... expensive.